University police Chief David Carter said it would be "premature" to discuss the suspect's motive and "what was going through his mind."

He said the stabbings occurred within a one-block area as the attacker "calmly walked around the plaza." It was just a short walk from the administration building and the landmark clock tower that was the scene of a mass shooting in 1966.

University President Greg Fenves expressed condolences to the victims, saying it "breaks my heart that any of our students are touched by tragedy."